Litigation lawyers - advice on not being stressed out?

Anonymous
I hate thinking about work when I'm not at work. I just get so nervous about my cases and making sure I'm doing a good job. I don't want to look inexperienced and I worry so much about not being prepared that I over prepare (at least, that's what I've been told by others who spend a fraction of the time that I do on preparations). I also want to be viewed as intelligent and competent but a lot of the times I feel behind the curve and that also stresses me out. I am fairly new to this - about 2 years, so I can use some advice. Do you chill out with experience or does it depend on personality? Did you ever get to the point that you were just be able to leave work at work and not stress out about it? Do you still get nervous in court?
Anonymous
As a litigator, you will probably spend a good deal of your life being stressed out. It's just the way it is. The best thing I can say is to never ever ever fall behind on your work. As soon as you get a case, develop and plan and diary it and don't extend your time to get things done. And, yes, after more than a decade of litigating, I still get nervous in court. How can you not? You always have to be on your a-game. It's a one shot deal and if you blow it, your client doesn't get a second chance. It's like your final exam being the only that that counts in your grade.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I hate thinking about work when I'm not at work. I just get so nervous about my cases and making sure I'm doing a good job. I don't want to look inexperienced and I worry so much about not being prepared that I over prepare (at least, that's what I've been told by others who spend a fraction of the time that I do on preparations). I also want to be viewed as intelligent and competent but a lot of the times I feel behind the curve and that also stresses me out. I am fairly new to this - about 2 years, so I can use some advice. Do you chill out with experience or does it depend on personality? Did you ever get to the point that you were just be able to leave work at work and not stress out about it? Do you still get nervous in court?


At that point that you don't get nervous or no longer get butterflies in the tummy, that is the point of time to look for a different area of law to practice.
Anonymous
I have been a lawyer for 10 years and a federal prosecutor for 5. I argue in court all the time. I still get nervous, BUT I don't get paralyzingly nervous like I did when I first started out. A little nervousness is good, but not being able to sleep at night because you're so nervous about a hearing the next day is obviously bad. IME, it gets better over time as your comfort level rises and you become more confident. How do you feel after a big court appearance? For me, the exhileration of a good performance is worth all the stress leading up to it.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I have been a lawyer for 10 years and a federal prosecutor for 5. I argue in court all the time. I still get nervous, BUT I don't get paralyzingly nervous like I did when I first started out. A little nervousness is good, but not being able to sleep at night because you're so nervous about a hearing the next day is obviously bad. IME, it gets better over time as your comfort level rises and you become more confident. How do you feel after a big court appearance? For me, the exhileration of a good performance is worth all the stress leading up to it.


Same poster as above. Just wanted to add that I still am not able to completely leave work at work, but I don't know many lawyers who are very good at that.
Anonymous
Non-litigation in-house lawyer here with a potential tiny litigation matter brewing. I am so stressed out I can't sleep over a ridiculous few thousand dollars max. Ugh. Can't see how you litigators do this. I want my contract reviews back (and no, it wasn't one of my contracts that is the problem!)
Anonymous
I hate thinking about work when I'm not at work. I just get so nervous about my cases and making sure I'm doing a good job. I don't want to look inexperienced and I worry so much about not being prepared that I over prepare (at least, that's what I've been told by others who spend a fraction of the time that I do on preparations). I also want to be viewed as intelligent and competent but a lot of the times I feel behind the curve and that also stresses me out. I am fairly new to this - about 2 years, so I can use some advice. Do you chill out with experience or does it depend on personality? Did you ever get to the point that you were just be able to leave work at work and not stress out about it? Do you still get nervous in court?


I've been a litigator for 9 years and can relate to where you are coming from. IMHO, the only thing you can do is not care as much. I still want to be prepared, but I don't look back to double, triple, and quadruple check any more. You will come to learn more where you need to put in the extra effort, and where you don't really need to. I still get very aggravated with opposing counsel, however, and have a hard time putting it behind me when I leave work. I get nervous in Court, but I also think it is fun and love it.
Anonymous
Also, I wanted to add that you have to accept that some cases are what they are - the facts aren't that good, the law is more favorable towards the other side. You need to do a competent job, but it isn't worth killing yourself over - I would guess than 90 percent of the time, no amount of effort is going to make a crappy case into a winner.
Anonymous
By over-preparing do you mean you cost your clients more money? That's not good, nor is not billing your time. Manage your scope better.
Anonymous
Leave litigation, lol seriously. I litigated for 8 years, moved to federal govt doing litigation light and 2 years later got out of litigation. Sometimes, I miss it but mostly I don't- been there, done that. Before I left litigation I did get to the point where I was able to be less stressed, but it took 8 years of a daily constant headache to get to that point. Some of it is personality. My first boss loved the courtroom, loved the fly the seat of your pants challenge and was awesome in court... not many people are like that. Preparation is 90%, but charisma and thinking on your feet is what makes a great litigator.
Anonymous
Quit litigation.
Anonymous
OP here. Thank you for the responses. It helps to know that even the more experienced attys that I admire may be still nervous.
Just to clarify, I don't bill for my over preparing - my billables get reviewed and adjusted by the managing partners so the client doesn't pay for my inexperience. But yes, it takes away from my productivity and my time at home.
Some days I do wish I had a more transactional job, esp with the Fed, but that's harder said than done in this economy. I'm just thankful to have a job at all (coming from a stint of staying at home for 2 years with my kids). I don't hate litigation itself because it's never boring and I enjoy the strategizing, I just wish it wasn't so stressful. If I could just sit and write motions all day, without going to court, I think I would like that job.
Anonymous
OP, at 2 years you are still a baby. It gets better, and stays better for a long time. (Then it gets way worse when you are the most senior person on a significant case, but that is likely a ways off.) You have the right attitude to be good at it, and my guess is you will be just fine. Ride it out a little longer, and realize that most mistakes are fixable. It is good to feel the fear of screwing up, and it is necessary in my view to perform at a high level, but only within reason. You sound like everything will be fine.
Anonymous
The PP hit the nail on the head. Most mistakes can be fixed. Litigation is a minefield and there are a million opportunities to screw up.

Don't miss a filing deadline.
Keycite your cases so you don't cite a reversed case or miss the recent major decision.
Always check the FRCP (or governing procedural rules).
CYA by confirming things you've discussed with your colleagues/opposing counsel in writing.
Proofread everything, including the footnotes, signature block, certificate of service.
If you want to half ass something but your instinct tells you not to, don't. Sometimes the painful route is the necessary route.
Learn to recognize what you can put on the back burner. Half the projects my partners or clients would dream up never came to fruition.
Only stress about real deadlines, not artificial ones.
Apologize and take the blame and then say how you'll fix it.
Never blame the paralegal or the secretary. The buck stops with you, and anyway you don't want to piss them off.
Have an opinion as to what the argument should be but be prepared to listen to other opinions.
Ultimately whoever signs the pleading gets to make the final call. State your opinion for the record but then move on and do as you are told.
Litigation is like war--you may lose some battles but if you live to fight another day you can win the war. So keep a long view of things.

Anonymous
Great advice already. I'd just add, don't show your nervousness. Looking and sounding confident is half the battle. Also, take breaks when you need them. Sometimes it is good just to clear your head.
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